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Land Inequality and Conflict Intensity

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  • De Luca, Giacomo
  • Sekeris, Petros

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of land inequality on conflict intensity. A fundamental distinction with the existing literature lies in the nature of inequality under consideration. We investigate how land inequality across landlords only influences the intensity of the fight against a rebel group constituted by landless individuals. We show that conflict intensity is non-monotonic in land inequality. In particular, the most severe conflicts occur for intermediate land inequality levels. Moreover, a Pareto improving transfer of land from the smaller to the larger landlord may exist.

Suggested Citation

  • De Luca, Giacomo & Sekeris, Petros, 2009. "Land Inequality and Conflict Intensity," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Frankfurt a.M. 2009 5, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:gdec09:5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bequet, Ludovic, 2021. "Agricultural productivity and land inequality. Evidence from the Philippines," MPRA Paper 108131, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Atallah, Samer, 2017. "Price shocks and political conflict," International Journal of Development and Conflict, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, vol. 7(2), pages 65-80.
    3. Djimoudjiel, Djekonbe & Tchoffo Tameko, Gautier, 2019. "Land conflicts and land tenure effects on agriculture productivity in Chad," MPRA Paper 97696, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Raul Caruso, 2012. "Differentials in property Rights in a two-sector economy," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 122(2), pages 257-278.
    5. Juan Carlos Munoz Mora & José Antonio Fortou & Sandra L Johansson & Jorge Giraldo-Ramirez, 2015. "This land is My Land: Understanding the Relationship between Armed Conflict and Land in Uraba, Colombia," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2015-17, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Nicolas Berman & Mathieu Couttenier & Raphael Soubeyran, 2021. "Fertile Ground for Conflict," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 19(1), pages 82-127.
    7. De Luca, Giacomo & Sekeris, Petros G. & Vargas, Juan F., 2018. "Beyond divide and rule: Weak dictators, natural resources and civil conflict," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 205-221.
    8. Jing Zhang & Yan Chen & Congmou Zhu & Bingbing Huang & Muye Gan, 2021. "Identification of Potential Land-Use Conflicts between Agricultural and Ecological Space in an Ecologically Fragile Area of Southeastern China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-18, September.
    9. Giacomo Luca & Petros Sekeris, 2012. "Land inequality and conflict intensity," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 119-135, January.
    10. Eiji Yamamura, 2014. "Comparing the influence of conflict on the perceptions of rich and poor: testing the hypothesis of Acemoglu and Robinson," ISER Discussion Paper 0911, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    11. Eiji Yamamura, 2017. "Historical education levels and present-day non-cognitive skills," Journal of Economics and Econometrics, Economics and Econometrics Society, vol. 60(1), pages 28-51.
    12. Mugizi, Francisco M.P. & Matsumoto, Tomoya, 2021. "From conflict to conflicts: War-induced displacement, land conflicts, and agricultural productivity in post-war Northern Uganda," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    13. Petros Sekeris & Giacomo De Luca, 2011. "Beyond Divide-and-Rule: Sparking Civil War to Hold on Power," Working Papers 1102, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    14. Veronica Orellano & Paulo Furquim Azevedo & Maria Sylvia Saes & Viviam Ester Nascimento, 2015. "Land Invasions, Insecure Property Rights and Production Decisions," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(3), pages 660-671, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Conflict; Land Redistribution; Inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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